University student arrested with drugs

Police have arrested a student of the Bahawalnagar campus of a university on the charge of drug peddling. The police claimed that the student, Shabbir Shah, had been arrested in Islamnagar and 1.4kgs of hashish and 210 grams of Ice seized from him. Police officials said the suspect was a student of the local campus of the Islamia University of Bahawalpur. They said they suspected that a gang might be involved in drug peddling in other educational institutions as well. Sources among the campus employees said there had been suspicions of drug abuse among students. When contacted, the university's Media Coordinator Shahzad Khalid said strict action would be taken against anyone found involved in the case. Commenting on the matter, a local social activist, Muhammad Ali, suggested medical tests of students suspected of being drug addicts. Published in The Express Tribune, June 1st, 2023.

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3-year jail term on false moon sighting report

In order to end the seasonal controversies over the sighting of crescent, the National Assembly on Wednesday passed the Pakistan Ruet e Hilal Bill 2022 Bill – aimed at reconstituting the body – and imposed penalties on those who make announcement regarding the sighting of moon before the official announcement. According to the bill, a 15-member federal committee will be established that will function as the Federal Ruet e Hilal Committee. The panel will comprise two ulemas each from the four provinces and one each from Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir. It will also have representation from ministries of science and technology and religious affairs and Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco). Grade 20 officers will be a part of this body. According to the bill, ulema included in the committee will be required to have a master degree in Islamiat and 15 years of experience, beside a degree of Shahadatul Almiya approved by the HEC. The bill, while banning all unofficial committees, stated that the term of the federal body will be three years. Also read: NA passes bill to penalise contempt of parliament The committee chairperson will be appointed on a rotational basis from the provinces and the federation and will be responsible for the decision of moon sighting. Violators of Act will be fined Rs500,000 whereas those making false evidence of moon sighting shall be imprisoned for three years and fined Rs50,000. Any TV channel which makes announcement about the moon sighting before the official announcement by the federal committee will be fined rupees one million or its licence will be revoked, which will be a punishable and non-bailable and non-compoundable offence. Under the bill, apart from the federal committee, provincial and district committees will also be constituted. The provincial Ruet e Hilal Committee will comprise 13 members, Islamabad-based committee seven, while the district committees will consist of six members in which scholars from all schools of thought will be included. According to the bill, a master degree in Islamiat with a 10-year experience in Sharia is mandatory for the members of Islamabad and provincial committees whereas the members of district committees will be required to have a master degree in Islamiat with one year of experience in Sharia. The bill will now be tabled in the Senate for approval. Earlier, MNA Aliya Kamran presented a call attention notice on the shortage of food in the country. Minister for National Food Security Tariq Bashir Cheema replied that he did not agree with the report that was presented on the matter and rejected the impression that the country faced any issue of food security. He said the country had a record production of wheat this year, adding that there will be no need to import the commodity next year. He further noted that a surplus production of rice and cotton was recorded last year. Later, the National Assembly session was adjourned till June 9.

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Soldier martyred in attack on polio team in North Waziristan

Terrorists opened fire on security forces guarding a polio vaccination team in the Spinwam area of North Waziristan district on Wednesday, martyring one soldier and leaving another injured. According to the military's media wing, the terrorists attempted to disrupt the ongoing polio campaign by firing on the members of the polio team in Spinwam. Security forces deputed to provide protection to the polio worker effectively engaged the terrorists, ensuring the safety of all members and extricating them unharmed. "During ensuing fire exchange between security forces and the terrorists, Sepoy Saqib Ur Rehman (age 25 years, resident of District Mardan) sacrificed his life in the line of duty, embracing Shahadat [martyrdom]," the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a press release. It added that sanitisation of the area was being carried out following the attack to eliminate any terrorists found in the area. "Security forces of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve," the ISPR said.   Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari condemned the attack on the polio team in North Waziristan. Bilawal expressed his heartfelt condolences to the family of the martyred worker and conveyed solidarity with them. The foreign minister said that he hopes the authorities will swiftly apprehend the terrorists involved in the attack and bring them to justice. Pakistan is determined to eradicate not only the polio virus but also uproot elements working against the polio campaign worker from its territory, he said. Also read Two terrorists killed in North Waziristan intel-based operation Terrorist attacks on polio vaccination workers have been a recurring issue in the northwestern parts of Pakistan. The attacks pose a significant threat to the ongoing efforts to eradicate polio from the country. Pakistan is one of the last countries in the world where polio remains endemic, and the government has been actively working to combat the disease through vaccination campaigns. However, conservative beliefs and conspiracy theories have hindered progress in some areas, with a faction believing that the polio vaccine is part of a larger conspiracy. This misinformation has fueled resistance and distrust among certain communities, making it challenging for health workers to administer the vaccine and reach every child in need. Despite these challenges, Pakistan remains committed to eliminating polio and has implemented various strategies to address the issue, including enhanced security measures and awareness campaigns to dispel misconceptions surrounding the vaccine.

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PPP also serves show-cause notice on Patel

Federal Minister for Health Abdul Qadir Patel has found himself sandwiched between his own party's ire and a rival party's legal firepower as the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has served him a show-cause notice, while PTI chairman Imran Khan fired back with a Rs10 billion defamation notice over a fiery press conference. Surprisingly, the PPP has issued a show-cause notice to its health minister for not taking the party into confidence before holding a news conference against the PTI chairman on May 26. During the conference, Patel had claimed that "traces of alcohol and cocaine were found in the former premier's urine analysis". Patel had held the presser on Imran's medical report, which was taken after he underwent an examination at PIMS hospital following his arrest on May 9 in the Al-Qadir Trust case. Sources familiar with the matter revealed that the PPP chairman's office has issued the show-cause notice to the health minister and expressed extreme displeasure, as the minister held the press conference on his own without first bringing it to the party's attention. "The chairman's office is not happy with Patel's press conference and has not only expressed displeasure but also issued a show-cause notice to him," a source in the PPP told The Express Tribune. The PPP leader stated that "the party was not consulted before the presser," and that "he (Patel) did it on his own”. Through the show-cause notice, the sources said that Patel has been directed to explain his position within a week's time. A PPP lawmaker explained that taking the party leadership into confidence is crucial, as the party has to move forward on different platforms and defend its position when necessary. Also read: Imran serves Rs10 bn defamation notice to health minister Just as the PPP issued a notice to Patel, Imran also sent him a hefty defamation notice regarding the "dissemination and circulation of wrongful, baseless, false, misleading, erroneous, malicious, and defamatory information" against him during the press conference. Faced with a dual deluge of notices from his own party and the rival party, Patel met with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar on Tuesday in the parliament, presumably to consult over the double whammy. Patel met Tarar in Minister for Commerce Naveed Qamar's chamber but did not stop to answer any queries when they walked out of the chamber. Usually, Patel is among the outspoken lawmakers, but he did not say anything on Tuesday before the assembly's session. During the press conference, Patel, while referring to the initial medical report, claimed that Imran's "mental stability is questionable." Reading from the report, Patel said that Imran had little insight into the seriousness and reality of the current situation. In response to the press conference, Imran, through his counsel, sent a defamation notice to Patel, stating that his remarks were made "knowingly, consciously, willingly, deliberately, and maliciously, which is highly irrational and goes against the principles of ethics and morals." The notice demanded that Patel retract his statements, tender an unconditional apology, pay Rs10 billion for defamation, and added that the money would be donated to Shaukat Khanam Memorial Cancer Hospital. Non-compliance would result in legal proceedings.

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Man drowns while bathing in canal

Rescuers and locals recovered on Tuesday the body of a 50-year-old man who drowned in the Ghazi Barotha Canal a day earlier. According to the police, the victim was identified as Wajid Waheed of Mardan. Police added that Waheed had gone into deep waters while bathing. He drowned due to that which led to his death. They added that personnel of Rescue 1122 participated in the rescue operation alongside locals but they were only able to recover his body. His body was first shifted to the hospital for medico-legal proceedings after which it was handed over to the heirs for burial. Meanwhile, police said on Tuesday that they had arrested three suspects over the murder of a man last week following a quarrel between neighbours in Noorpur’s Sarara village. On May 25, one person was killed and another injured after a dispute in within the limits of Saddar police station. Saddar Station House Officer (SHO) Amir Khan along with police personnel under the supervision of the area Deputy Superintendent of Police Umar Hayat arrested the three accused, Gohar Rehman, Imran and Ramzan and presented them in court. The court approved a two-day police remand for the three accused.   Published in The Express Tribune, May 31st, 2023.

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Asif warns judiciary against overstepping authority

  Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday warned that the judiciary could not dictate parliament and if there was any interference in the scope of legislation, a befitting reply would be given. Speaking at the National Assembly, Asif fired a broadside at Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial for sitting on a five-judge bench that suspended the inquiry commission probing the audio leaks. Asif said that the judiciary and parliament were at war for the past several months or at least a year. But now, he added, the situation had come to a point that when the government took a step to fix a rule of law, it was being resisted or abolished. “Even the judiciary cannot dictate parliament,” Asif, a senior leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), told the house. “If there is interference in our scope, there will be a befitting reply.” Asif explained that the cabinet formed a commission, comprising the senior-most Supreme Court judge and the chief justices of the Balochistan and the Islamabad high courts to investigate the leaked audios. “We did not appoint members of parliament to the commission or appointed anyone from outside the judiciary, but [still] the Honourable Chief Justice of the Supreme Court has stopped the entire process,” he added. The defence minister further explained that the government did not include Chief Justice Bandial in the commission because the leaked audios also included the one that was purportedly linked to his mother-in-law. The minister said that conflict of interest was an established principle. “Whenever, a judge is the plaintiff or the accused, or has direct or indirect interest in the matter, he should not sit in the judge's chair. “Keeping this principle in mind, we constituted this commission and hoped that the chief justice would be kind enough to recuse himself from the matter and leave the scales of justice in the hands of the commission,” he continued. Asif said that there was an impression that those conversations which were in the leaked audios had been recorded with a phone-tapping device. However, he added in the present era, phone conversations could be recorded from abroad. “Nowadays, one can hack a mobile phone in Pakistan, while sitting in the UK, and all conversations can be recorded. It does not require a listening device. Hackers can hack [phones] from anywhere in the world,” he said. The intelligence agencies of the United States and the major powers of the world have interfered and information was stolen. And this story can happen in Pakistan too,” the minister told the house. He said that the National Assembly speaker had formed a committee under Aslam Bhootani but “I am informed that [former chief justice] Saqib Nisar's son had filed an application against it in the Islamabad High Court (IHC)”. Asif recalled that former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry recused himself from hearing of a case of his son. “But such traditions have been abandoned by a few people in the Supreme Court,” he lamented. “If the then Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry could recuse himself, today he [Chief Justice Bandial] should also recuse himself from this commission on the issue involving the audio tapes of his [Bandial’s] relative.” The defence minister also mentioned the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act which, he said, was enacted to expand the powers of the chief justice. However, this bill was not signed by the president but still the Supreme Court took notice of it. “Taking notice of something that is still in the process is something that has never happened before,” he said. “We wanted to introduce such a process that will end the impression of a one-man show in the Supreme Court.”

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40 senior bureaucrats without postings

At least 40 senior bureaucrats, including nine in Grade-22 and eight in Grade-21, have been made officers on special duty (OSDs) in the Establishment Division, which means that they have no postings at present. These names include some of those officers who held senior positions during the previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, such as the principle secretaries to then Prime Minister Imran Khan and then Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar. On April 11, 2022, after Imran’s removal from the government, Imran’s principal secretary Azam Khan, Buzdar’s principal secretary Tahir Khurshid and then Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director General Sanaullah Abbasi were made the OSDs. Before that, some of them were made OSDs in the Establishment Division over allegations of rigging in the Daska by-election, and the deaths of tourists because of heavy snowfall in Murree district. The senior officers include former poverty alleviation secretary Muhammad Ali Shahzada, former national heritage secretary Dr Arshad Mehmood, former communications secretary Jawad Rafiq Malik, former Punjab Board of Revenue senior member Babar Hayat Tarar, former director genera of Intelligence Bureau (IB) Dr Muhammad Salman and former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief secretary Shahzad Khan Bangash. The police officers include former Sindh inspector general Mushtaq Mahar, Fayyaz Ahmad, Inam Ghani, Babar Bakht Qureshi and Agha Mohammad Yousuf. Also the list of OSDs includes officers, who are on long leave or studying abroad.

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‘AI to create 97m jobs by 2025’

Artificial Intelligence (AI) will dominate the global setup in near future, and Pakistan must take proactive measures to adopt it in order to compete with the fast-changing global demands. This was stated by Ahmad Hassan, chairman of the FCCI Standing Committee on R&D, at a meeting in Faisalabad on Tuesday. He told the meeting that IT and digitalization would entirely change the global face, and countries like Pakistan must grasp this knowledge to survive in the global scenario. Commenting on the importance of AI, he said that 86% of business houses had already become a part of mainstream IT technology while 80% of B2B market executives confessed that IT had already revolutionised their sector. Ahmad Hassan acknowledged that AI would substantially eliminate traditional jobs, but at the same time it would create approximately 97 million jobs in the AI sector by 2025. Published in The Express Tribune, May 31st, 2023.

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70% of city lacks streetlights

A survey has disclosed that about 70 per cent of the streetlights in the metropolis are not in a working condition and the proportion of the functional lights is decreasing, due to which the citizens are facing problems. A resident of the city asserted while speaking to The Express Tribune that the authorities made efforts to keep the streetlights properly lit on the important routes of the city used by VIPs. However, negligence is shown regarding installation of streetlights in the low income areas. Due to the lack of the facility, the areas plunge into darkness at night and the residents face difficulty in travelling. They are exposed to the risk of crimes as well as accidents. The survey conducted recently revealed that of the 22,507 streetlights installed on 498 roads across the city, as many as 17,354 were not working. Thus almost 70% of the population of Lahore is deprived of the facility of streetlights. Of the lights, 437 are installed on nine major roads in the city -- MM Alam Road, Zahoor Elhi Road, The Mall road, Davis Road, Gulberg Main Boulevard, Ferozepur Road, Zafar Ali Road and Thokar Chowk to Canal Road. About 70% of the lights are functioning on the main thoroughfares, while the remaining 30% are also set to be repaired. Of the more than 10,000 streetlight poles installed on 245 other roads in the nine zones of the city, more than 5,000 street poles are functioning while 4,000 lack the lighting devices. According to the survey, more than 10,000 sodium lights are currently installed along the roads of Lahore. The cost of one light was Rs21,000 and a plan had been made to replace them with LED lights. At the time, the cost of one light was Rs50,000 and they had to be installed at 22,507 spots. The metropolitan corporation had planned to spend about Rs1.25 billion on the energy saving project. The corporation had earlier issued tenders of around Rs300 million to purchase sodium lights. The process was cancelled in view of the proposal to buy LED lights. Tenders for 437 LED lights were planned, but the PML-N’s provincial government ended and the PML-Q and PTI’s alliance came into power. The tenders worth Rs200 million were called for buying the lights but were cancelled due to lack of interest of contractors and no clear policy of the corporation. As the caretaker government took charge, a ban was imposed on all development work and new projects for three months. Meanwhile, the lights could not be purchased even in a year and a half and 70% of Lahore plunges into darkness at night. When contacted, Lahore Metropolitan Corporation Chief Executive Officer Ali Abbas Bukhari said the streetlight had not been purchased in a long time mainly because of frequent changes of governments and lack of a clear policy. “We are trying to provide streetlights along the VVIP and VIP roads as well as in other city areas,” he added. Bukhari said LED lights would be installed to reduce the electricity cost amid the increasing tariff. “As soon as we get permission from the Punjab government to carry out development work and buy the lights, we will immediately acquire standard lights from big companies so that they can be guaranteed and run for a long time,” he said. An urban development expert, Dr Nasir Javed, said various companies and authorities had been created to take over functions like property tax, cattle market, parking, sanitation system and district tax, from municipal corporations, which now lacked funds to provide facilities to the citizens. He said the government should empower and strengthen the municipal corporations so that civic services could be provided to the citizens. He said streetlights were among the most important civic facilities. Published in The Express Tribune, May 31st, 2023.

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Imran to be tried in military court for May 9 attacks: interior minister

Former Prime Minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan will face trial in a military court over his alleged role in the May 9 arson attacks, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said on Tuesday. Speaking to a private news channel, Sanaullah accused Imran of "personally planning attacks" on military establishments, claiming that there was ample evidence to substantiate these accusations. “It is all documented. The proof is in his tweets and messages,” he said. Read more Jinnah House attack: Imran skips JIT appearance citing security threats The attacks, which took place after Imran Khan's arrest on May 9 by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case, lead to violent protests across the country including attacks on military installations and public and private property. Sanaullah repeated the same statements in another TV interview. “Absolutely, why shouldn’t he [be tried in military court]? The programme he made to target military installations and how he had it executed, this is absolutely a case for the military courts.” The minister claimed that the PTI chief personally orchestrated the attacks. “PTI activists chanted the slogan that ‘Imran is our red line’, and the entire plot was prepared on Imran Khan’s initiative and instigation. He carried it all out. He is the architect of this chaos.” Addressing the issue of those involved in the attack, the interior minister claimed that there would be no leniency for those who launched the assaults on military installations, regardless of their current status with the PTI. However, he said that other leaders who have disassociated themselves from the PTI and condemned the attacks may be given some respite. During his interview, Sanaullah pointed out two categories of people involved in the attacks: those who were motivators and others who were the executors. "PTI chief Imran Khan is among the motivators," he said, calling him the instigator or the arson attacks. Sanaullah also implicated the former premier’s spouse, Bushra Khan, as one of the motivators. Concerning the treatment of PTI's women leaders in prison, he ensured that they would not be subjected to ill-treatment. Also read Judges also getting calls from unknown numbers, claims Imran The interior minister also touched upon the possibility of Imran Khan’s arrest prior to elections in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case and the May 9 attacks. If convicted after arrest, the PTI chief could face disqualification, he said. In response to a question about what measures the government took to prevent the attacks, Sanaullah asserted that law enforcers would have been successful if the state had employed full force. However, he claimed that the government did not sanction this due to the risk of bloodshed and the subsequent potential political leverage it could provide Imran Khan. Regarding the military trials, Sanaullah indicated that the trials would follow a comprehensive investigation into the roles of the accused in the attacks. Alarmingly, he noted, some individuals had even stolen sensitive documents from the Corps Commander’s House. As yet, no decision had been made about indicting PTI leaders Dr Yasmin Rashid and Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, Sanaullah said. Finally, he concluded that the military would make the final decision on putting Khan under military trial. Khan is considered the main instigator, with a team being formed to try him in seven cases. He also said that the PML-N would seek a review on Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification as the party chief.

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PAC accuses NAB of ‘facilitating’ corrupt people

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman on Tuesday accused the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) of “facilitating” corrupt people instead of going after them, saying NAB’s performance was “zero” as PAC has made more recoveries than the anti-graft body during his tenure. Irked by the absence of NAB chairman Lt Gen (retd) Nazir Ahmad Butt, PAC chairman Noor Alam Khan directed to fix a PAC meeting next week with directions to the NAB chairman to appear before the accountability arm of the parliament. When the NAB officials told the PAC chairman that Butt couldn’t appear before the committee as his scheduled flight had been cancelled, Alam said that he would dig out the claim if the NAB chairman was in Islamabad or somewhere else, saying “I have more powers than NAB.” Also read PAC seeks details of SC judge’s assets Following PAC meeting, Alam while answering a question, said that finding out about flight cancellation, among other things, was not difficult. He reiterated that everyone is answerable to the PAC. Lashing out at the NAB chairman, Alam said that Butt takes roughly Rs1.8 million as salary but the recoveries are not up to the mark and dozens of cases referred to NAB by PAC were still pending for months. “I’m not satisfied with NAB’s performance,” Alam said, reiterating that they take hefty salaries but “performance is zero”. Alam made it clear that he won’t take briefing from the NAB officials, including NAB’s deputy chairman, saying the Principal Accounting Officer (PAO), the NAB chairman, should appear before the PAC to explain things next week. “Instead of going after corrupt people,” Noor said, “NAB is facilitating them.” At one point, Alam said that he doesn’t fear anyone and won’t take briefings from anyone other than the PAO even if people are not happy with him, approach him, or ask others to make calls to take briefing. The remarks came after PML-N’s Birjees Tahir asked why he was taking a lenient view when NAB chairman being PAO was absent. Also read NAB chief pledges to remain apolitical Alam angrily replied that “Birjees Tahir Sahib, I don’t fear anyone”, saying he won’t take briefing from NAB officials present in the meeting but was just asking why NAB chairman was absent. Expenses incurred on cases dropped Meanwhile, at the request of Shaikh Rohale Asghar, Alam directed NAB officials to submit details of the expenses made on all the cases that were later dropped at the initial or court stage, saying the money belonged to the government and NAB should answer about all such expenses that have gone into vain. The direction came after Asghar drew committee’s attention to NAB’s habit of dropping cases at different stages, accusing the Bureau of harassing people through such cases. He sought data of all the cases, including the Broadsheet case, that have been dropped later on but cost the national kitty dearly. PAC’s Rs1tr recoveries During the meeting, Alam revealed that PAC has made recoveries of roughly Rs1 trillion since he became PAC chairman and took first meeting on June 7, 2022. He also disclosed that most of the cases that were sent to NAB were still pending. Though PAC documents are usually kept away from media officials, Alam directed his associates to share the details of the recoveries with media. The Rs1tr recovery statement, however, showed the starting date from December 2018 to June 2022 and onwards till April 2023. It stated that total Rs999,013.06 million – almost Rs1 trillion – have so far been recovered from different departments, including federal government, social safety net, water resources, power sector, railways, and others located in different cities like Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi.

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Illegal cattle markets disrupt daily life

With the festival of sacrifice around the corner, numerous illegal cattle markets have cropped up across the Rawalpindi city and cantonment areas. The daily lives of the citizens are being badly affected due to the establishment of illegal cattle markets at six different locations in the city as well as the selling of sacrificial animals by vendors in the streets. Sources said despite a ban by the district administration on the sale of sacrificial animals outside the official cattle markets, several illegal markets have cropped up in the district ahead of Eidul Azha. Vendors arriving from different cities reach the main thoroughfares of the city to sell the sacrificial animals in the evening, causing traffic jams and other problems. Cattle vendors have set up illegal markets in Bagh-e-Sardaran, Bani Chowk, Chungi No. 22, Katarian Market, Pindora and Chour Chowk. Mehboob Shahzad, a resident of the Bagh-e-Sardaran area, said: “Every year at the onset of Eid season, these people come here with their animals and create problems for the traffic flow.” “Although the officials of the district administration also commute here no action is taken against these illegal cattle markets,” he lamented. “In case of a traffic jam, they take their animals inside the residential areas which is also a big problem for residents,’ they said and demanded the government take action against illegal cattle markets and rid the people of this disruption. On the other hand, Ghulam Murtaza, a cattle merchant, while talking to The Express Tribune said the process of sale and purchase was not started yet in the official cattle markets of city and cantonment areas. “We are also facing a shortage of facilities in these markets,” he claimed, adding the contractors of the official cattle markets demand huge entry fees for the sacrificial animals. “The entry charges for large animals like cow and bull are Rs3,000 and for goat and sheep are Rs2000,” he explained and said they only get permission to enter the official markets after payment of entry fees. The vendor said there were many other expenses for the sacrificial animals before they were sold out to the customers. “The cost of sacrificial animals is already high. Should we pay the market fee or arrange for animal feed,” he questioned. “In such a situation, the only solution left for us is to set up markets within the city so that the citizens do not have to go to distant areas to buy sacrificial animals,” he said. “If the administration sets up free markets, we will take the animals there.” On the other hand, officials of the district administration said that there was a ban on setting up illegal cattle markets in the city and the sale and purchase of sacrificial animals in different areas and on roads was also illegal. “The district administration has issued directives to the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation in this regard and different teams are being formed to stop the animal trade in illegal cattle markets,” they explained. They said a crackdown will be launched on the illegal cattle markets set up at important public places. “The animals will be confiscated and heavy fines will be imposed on their owners,” they said.   Published in The Express Tribune, May 30th, 2023.

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Minister rules out delay in elections

Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal has said that elections in the country will be held on time. Talking to the media on Monday, he said in a sarcastic vein that “revolutionists” could not even stay in jails for one or two days. He said, "The way the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is shattering reminds us of an English language phrase 'the house of cards'." He said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leadership faced jails even in tough situations, but never raised hue and cry. Iqbal said there were many people in the PTI who did not support the politics of its leadership and the one being promoted on the PTI's social media. He said that no patriotic person could support negative propaganda being promoted by the PTI overseas social media against country's defence institutions. Iqbal said that if burning of residence of Quaid-i-Azam in Ziarat could be termed terrorism, burning of Jinnah House in Lahore could not be ignored by terming it political protest. Attacks on the country's institutions could not be termed political protest, he said, adding that if the red line had been crossed and terrorism had been committed, it would be called terrorism. “If any political worker plays a role within the parameters of politics and democracy, he will be considered as part of democracy.” To a question, he said Pakistan had met all of the International Monetary Fund conditions, hoping that soon matters with the IMF would be finalised which would definitely end uncertainty in the market. APP

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NAB Amendment Bill 2023 comes into effect

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Amendment Bill 2023 became a law by itself after the passage of the constitutional period of re-approval by the president. The bill was approved in a joint session of parliament on 15 May. According to sources, NAB Amendment Bill 2023 will be considered approved by the president under Clause 2 of Article 75 of the Constitution. After all the stages of bill approval were completed, the National Assembly secretariat issued a notification. According to the sources, the secretariat has fulfilled all the requirements in the light of the law and rules and regulations and has issued a gazette notification to the Printing Corporation of Pakistan. Amendments According to the NAB law, the amendment bill will come into effect from 1999. Under the bill, more powers had been given to the NAB chairman. All pending inquiries intended to be transferred under sub-section 3 shall be considered by the NAB chairman. The chairman will have the authority to close the inquiries started under any other law. The chairman shall be authorised to refer all such inquiries to the relevant agency, institution or authority. If the inquiry is not satisfactory, the NAB chairman will be authorised to send the case to the court concerned for approval for the release of the accused. On receiving the inquiry from the NAB chairman, the agency or department concerned will be authorised to conduct further inquiry under clauses AB and B. If the court is not satisfied, any case can be referred back to the relevant institution, agency or authority with the help of NAB. On the return of the case from the NAB court, the department or authority concerned will be able to prosecute the case under its own rules. The cases decided before the NAB Amendment Act 2022 and 2023 will remain in force. These decisions will remain in effect until they are withdrawn. Any court forum or agency shall be competent to record or re-record old or new witnesses under its respective laws for further proceedings in the case referred to it. All pending inquiries, investigations, and trials under Section 5 of the NAB act will be further processed only under the rules of the institutions concerned. In the absence of NAB chairman or incapacity for any reason, the deputy chairman will be authorised to take over the responsibilities of NAB. In case of non-availability of the deputy chairman for any reason, the federal government will be authorised to appoint one of the senior officers of NAB as acting chairman.

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Dar evades questions on IMF, budget

Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday lost his temper after he was questioned whether the government had “failed” to obtain loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The finance minister was responding to media after attending an event in the federal capital. Dar was asked whether the government had failed in reaching an agreement with the global money lender. He was questioned if the country had defaulted. Ishaq Dar's finance minister became extremely angry in response to the question, "Couldn't you manage the economy?" and replied, "Has Pakistan defaulted?"#ishaqdar #IMF #government pic.twitter.com/Gtk6LWYw6f — Hammad Hassan (@Hammadviews) May 29, 2023 “Pakistan has not yet defaulted. [We are] making international payments,” Dar replied. The finance czar was further asked if the government was not able to manage the economy as it was “confronted with a difficult economic situation for the first time”. A visible upset and angry finance minister replied, “Give the decision you want to you. I will see you later”. Dar evaded questions on IMF and the upcoming budget and hurriedly left the scene after boarding his car. A day earlier, the finance minister said that Pakistan would share its upcoming budget details with the IMF in order to unlock stalled funds. Hopes for a resumption of an IMF deal are diminishing, analysts say, with a bailout programme agreed in 2019 due to expire on June 30 at the end of the 2022-23 fiscal year. Dar said he would like the IMF to clear its 9th review before the budget, which is due to be presented in early June, as all the conditions for that had already been met.

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JIT summons Imran in May 9 cases today

PTI Chairman and former premier Imran Khan has been summoned by a joint investigation team (JIT) on Tuesday (today) in a probe into the attacks on the Lahore corps commander’s house – also known as Jinnah House – and other military installations on May 9. The PTI chief is required to appear before the probe body – led by Lahore DIG Investigations Kamran Adil – at the Investigations Headquarters, Qila Gujjar Singh, at 4pm. The team will record the PTI chief’s statement in violence cases, pertaining to attacks on Jinnah House and Askari Tower. Sources maintained that Imran had received the JIT summons and that he had consulted his legal team on the matter. Until the filing of this report, it was not decided whether the PTI chairman would appear before the investigation body or not. The Punjab government had constituted over a dozen JITs to probe into the May 9 incidents following which several cases were registered against the PTI leaders and workers, including the PTI chief at Sarwar Road, Shadman, Gulberg and other police stations. On May 9, in an unprecedented show of vandalism, protestors allegedly belonging to the PTI, vandalised public and state properties and even attacked the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi and Lahore corps commander’s residence. The attack occurred hours after the paramilitary Rangers arrested Imran in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case, later retitled as National Crime Agency £190 million scandal, on the orders of the National Accountability Bureau, from the Islamabad High Court premises. The rioting was followed by a harsh crackdown against the former ruling party leaders and workers that still continues. However, on May 11, the Supreme Court came to Imran’s rescue, declaring that his arrest was “illegal”, ordering his release. On May 12, the IHC stopped the authorities from arresting the PTI chairman in any case, including undisclosed ones, filed against him anywhere in the country till May 15. Read Will Imran pull it off like Nawaz did? It also granted the PTI chief interim bail for two weeks in the National Crime Agency £190 million scandal. The army termed the events of May 9 a “dark chapter” in the country’s history, announcing its intent to try the protesters under relevant laws, including two military laws — the Pakistan Army Act and Official Secrets Act. The decision was backed by the National Security Committee (NSC) – country’s top security panel. It was approved by the federal cabinet wherein it was decided that the protesters, who ransacked and vandalised military installations, would be tried under the Army Act and the Official Secrets Act. The decision was widely condemned by local and international rights organisations, including from within the ruling coalition, warning that the move was against democratic principles. The Amnesty International also expressed its concerns over the decision to try May 9 rioters under the army act, saying “using military courts to try civilians is a clear violation of international law”. Later, the PTI moved the Supreme Court against trying civilians in military courts, calling the decision a "clear violation" of the constitutional guarantees of due process and fair trial. "Such trials are highly deprecated internationally and widely considered as falling short of providing fair trial," the petition stated. Following their arrests and rearrests, several PTI lawmakers, including Shireen Mazari, Fawad Chaudhry, Asad Umar and Maleeka Bokhari, distanced themselves from the party, condemning the May 9 riots. Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court (LHC) sought arguments on the maintainability of a plea requesting the formation of a JIT to conduct “fair probe” into the incidents of May 9. Petitioner Afzal Pahat’s counsel argued before Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan that the PTI staged peaceful protests, which later created a law and order situation. He maintained that some miscreants set the state properties ablaze, attacked military installations, and disgraced the monuments. He contended that creating a law and order situation had never been the motto of the PTI, questioning how the party’s workers could set the public property on fire. He requested the court to issue directions to the quarters concerned to constitute a JIT to conduct a fair probing into the May 9 happenings. The law officer told the court that the matter was still pending before the Supreme Court. The petitioner’s counsel replied that this matter was not pending before any judge. Justice Hassan asked how the LHC could hear the matter which was pending before the apex court.

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BHC adjourns treason case hearing against Imran till 7th

The Balochistan High Court (BHC) on Monday adjourned the hearing of a treason case against former prime minister Imran Khan till June 7. A lawyer of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Abdul Razzaq Shar, had submitted a petition in the BHC seeking the registration of a treason case against the former premier. In his petition, Shar accused Imran of inciting people against state institutions and using foul language against state institutions. A division bench of the BHC comprising Chief Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Muhammad Amir Rana heard the case. Read more: BHC suspends Imran's warrants in hate-speech case No one from Imran’s side was present in the court. The hearing was adjourned till Wednesday, June 7, 2023. On behalf of the representative of the federal government, Additional Attorney General Hafiz Rauf Atta and Deputy Attorney General Mohammad Naseem Kasi were directed by the court to file a reply in this regard. Former Supreme Court Bar Association president Amanullah Kunrani appeared on behalf of the petitioner while no one appeared on behalf of the defendants – National Assembly secretary and Imran.

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PTI senators condemn May 9 violence

The PTI senators on Monday submitted a resolution in the upper house of parliament, condemning the May 9 incidents, and called for strict action against those who were involved in the grisly acts of violence on that day. The resolution was tabled by Faisal Saleem, Seemi Ezdi, Falak Naz Chitrali, Dr Zarqa Suharwardy and others. It condemned the attacks on the General Headquarters, Lahore corps commander’s house – also known as the Jinnah House, military installations and public properties on May 9. The resolution noted that the Lahore corps commander’s house was vandalised on that day whereas valuable belongings of Quaid-e-Azam and memorials of martyrs were set ablaze. Noting that several schools and historic buildings were incinerated on May 9, the house, in the resolution, expressed solidarity, reaffirming an unwavering support to the institutions, armed forces, security agencies and people affected in the violence. Later, the senators addressed a news conference in parliament. Senator Saleem condemned the May 9 riots, saying they were ashamed that military installations were attacked on that day. Also read: Despite PTI exodus vote belongs only to Imran, says Umar Calling for strict action against those who were involved in the violence, Senator Seemi maintained that she could not image that anyone could attack the army installations as her family members had served the army, calling for strict action against the perpetrators. Senator Naz termed May 9 as the worst day in her life, condemning the attacks on the Yaadgar-e-Shuhda and the government properties. She said her brother and nephew were serving in the army. Expressing her patriotism, Dr Zarqa stressed that first they were Pakistanis and whereas their other associations stood secondary, castigating the riots in the strongest terms. She demanded that the innocent people who were arrested for their involvement in the May 9 violence should be released and that those who were found guilty be tried in civil courts. On May 9, violent protests erupted across the country following the arrest of PTI chief Imran Khan by paramilitary Rangers from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) premises on the orders of the National Accountability Bureau in the Al-Qadir Trust case, later retitled as National Crime Agency £190 million scandal. Protesters ransacked government properties and military installations, including the GHQ and the Lahore corps commander’s house. The government held the PTI responsible for the attacks and carried out a nationwide crackdown against them, stressing that nobody involved in the heinous acts would be spared. However, on May 11, the Supreme Court came to Imran’s rescue, declaring that his arrest was “illegal” and ordered his release. On May 12, the IHC stopped the authorities from arresting the PTI chairman in any case, including undisclosed ones, filed against him anywhere in the country till May 15. It also granted the PTI chief interim bail for two weeks in the National Crime Agency £190 million scandal. Following their arrests and rearrests, several PTI lawmakers, including Shireen Mazari, Fawad Chaudhry, Asad Umar and Maleeka Bokhari, distanced themselves from the party, condemning the May 9 riots.

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Nation pays tribute to nuclear test heroes

The nation celebrated Youm-e-Takbeer, the anniversary of Pakistan’s nuclear tests, on Sunday, renewing their pledge to make the country stronger with the same determination shown 25 years ago. To commemorate the day, the country’s leadership paid rich tribute to the political and military leadership of that time for taking a wise decision. The leaders also praised scientists, engineers and all those who remained associated with our nuclear programme. Amid slogans of “Allah-o-Akbar”, Pakistan conducted its nuclear tests at the Ras Koh hills in the Chaghai district of Balochistan on May 28, 1998 in response to India’s nuclear tests two weeks before that day. The day, now remembered as Youm-e-Takbeer is being celebrated every year across the country as a day of national pride and thanksgivings, as the country became the seventh nuclear nation of the world and the first Muslim state. Felicitating the nation on the silver jubilee of the tests, President Arif Alvi said Pakistan’s nuclear tests were essential for maintaining the balance of power in the region. He praised the political and military leadership at that time for taking a wise decision. “On this day, let us pledge to make Pakistan a stronger country by investing in the intellectual development of our people and strengthening our cyber-security to ensure our defence,” Alvi said in a statement. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on his Twitter handle that on this day, 25 years ago, Pakistan set a redline for its defence and laid down rules of the game for peace and stability in the region. He added that the hard work, commitment and determination shown by the political and military leadership, scientists, engineers and others made it possible for the country to guard its independence from any physical threat. Congratulating all the Pakistanis – at home or abroad – and thanking all friends and benefactors, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said that Youm-e-Takbeer was the declaration that Pakistan’s defence was invincible. National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf and Deputy Speaker Zahid Akram Durrani also felicitated the nation and said that the nuclear blasts made the country’s defence unbreachable. On the occasion of Youm-e-Takbeer, the armed forces of Pakistan also paid rich tribute to the brilliant minds that conceived and achieved this accomplishment under daunting challenges, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement. The statement said that the entire Pakistani nation celebrated the Silver Jubilee of Youm-e-Takbir and commemorated the remarkable achievement of establishing credible minimum deterrence that “reshaped the power dynamics in our region”.

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First group of pilgrims to go to Makkah today

The first batch of 773 intending pilgrims, who have completed their eight-day stay in Madinah Munawwarah, is scheduled to depart for Makkah Mukarama on early Monday morning. These pilgrims arrived in Madinah through three flights on May 21 and are now eagerly preparing to continue their sacred journey towards the holy city of Makkah. The Pakistan Hajj Mission in Madinah takes proactive steps to support and guide them. Pilgrims are urged to avail themselves of the mission’s toll-free helpline at 800 11 666 22 for any assistance required throughout their pilgrimage. With a commitment to ensuring a seamless and meaningful experience, the mission stands ready to address inquiries and provide essential aid to pilgrims, making their sacred journey as smooth as possible. Additionally, contact information for Makkah Mukarama can be obtained at 02 5500426, for Jeddah at 02 6670980 and for Madinah Munawwarah at 04-8250789 and 04-8250782. This year, a total of 179,200 Pakistani pilgrims are expected to perform Hajj. Out of this number, approximately 81,230 pilgrims will be partaking in Hajj under the government scheme, while the remaining individuals will be facilitated by private tour operators, as per the authorities’ arrangements. The last flight carrying Pakistani pilgrims is scheduled to depart for Saudi Arabia on June 21, according to the Pakistani Ministry of Religious Affairs. Meanwhile, Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Senator Muhammad Talha Mahmood said that he was personally overseeing the entire Hajj operation, ensuring its smooth execution through various channels. Speaking at the final training session of Moavineen-e-Hujjaj (Pilgrims' Assistants) held at the Haji Camp Islamabad the other day, the minister informed attendees that he had taken proactive steps to address any concerns or complaints from the pilgrims. To facilitate efficient communication, Senator Talha had distributed a WhatsApp number to all intending pilgrims, encouraging them to register any complaints they may have at any point during their spiritual journey. Additionally, he revealed that he had personally funded the establishment of an online portal to receive and manage these complaints effectively. The minister also made it clear that he would not tolerate any negligence or lethargic attitudes from the pilgrims' assistants. APP

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Maryam mocks Imran for seeking US support

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s political scion Maryam Nawaz has said May 9, 2023 and May 28, 1998 are two dates that show the difference between the ideologies of two politicians. “Every citizen feels proud of the day [May 28, 1998] when Pakistan became a nuclear power. But every Pakistani hangs his head in shame for what took place on May 9,” Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior vice president said on Sunday. Maryam was addressing a rally in Lahore held in connection with the 25th anniversary of Pakistan’s nuclear tests. “On May 9, Pakistan saw scenes which we had only seen in Afghanistan earlier,” she added. On May 9 violent protestors vandalised and set fire to dozens of state and military properties and memorials after paramilitary rangers arrested Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief and former prime minister Imran Khan from the premises of a court in Islamabad. Maryam, who has been a vocal critic of the establishment in the past, thanked the military for defending the country’s nuclear programme. She also expressed gratitude to other law enforcement agencies and the politicians, scientists and engineers who played crucial roles in Pakistan’s nuclear programme. Maryam took a jibe at Imran Khan, saying: “If a coward was leading Pakistan on May 28 1998, he would have hidden with a bucket over his head”. Calling the PTI chief “jackal”, she said he was begging the US for help during “tough times” after accusing it of toppling his government through conspiracy. “Brave nations are led by brave leaders,” she added. Maryam, the scion of the Sharif family's political dynasty, said the PTI chief while “sitting in a bunker in Zaman Park inciting his supporters to violence”. However, the person she paid glowing tributes to was her own father, Nawaz Sharif, who, she claimed, rejected billions of dollars just to make the country invincible. “Nawaz Sharif was on a foreign tour when India tested its nuclear weapons. He immediately telephoned the relevant officials and asked in how many days could Pakistan carry out nuclear tests. “Nawaz was told that such tests could be conducted in 17 days. And after 17 days Pakistan did test its nuclear weapons,” she said. Chagai-I was Pakistan's first public test of nuclear weapons. Its timing was a direct response to India's second nuclear test Pokhran-II, on May 11 and May 13, 1998. According to Maryam, then US president Bill Clinton had then offered to give the country $5 billion just to stop it from conducting its nuclear test “But Nawaz refused.” “He was threatened with sanctions but he refused to give in. The name which comes to mind when we talk about the defence of the country and its economic development is Nawaz Sharif. He has stamped marks of progress in every part of the country.” She said only a brave leader could take such bold steps. “In hard times, real leaders like Nawaz Sharif face the challenges head on rather than hiding their faces. Maryam claimed that her father will return to the country and the journey to progress will continue. “People remember those who built the country, not those who set fire to it,” she added in a reference to May 9 riots that are blamed on the PTI.  Referring to a mass exodus from Imran’s party in the wake of a governmental crackdown, she said the PML-N faced the worst persecution but no one left Nawaz Sharif. Calling Imran a traitor, she said the PTI chief now calls his supporters in the United States government to issue a statement and such statements create a stir here. She said every Pakistani’s head bowed in shame on May 9. “On that day memorials of martyrs were broken and their graves were vandalized. The cannons that had destroyed the enemy were thrown into the river. “Now Imran asks why cases of terrorism are being registered against him. It is simple: If you engage in terrorism, you will be booked under the terrorism law.” In a recorded message at the rally, Nawaz Sharif — who has been living in London since November 2019—congratulated the nation at the 25th anniversary of the nuclear blasts. “We have no ill will against anyone, but we also do not allow anyone to threaten us.” He said as the prime minister he wanted to take the country forward “but some people started pulling my legs”. “When I was the prime minister in 2017, the rates of dollar, flour, vegetables and daily commodities were much cheaper,” he said. Enumerating his contributions to the country, he said what he has done for the country cannot be forgotten. “I wish that Pakistan may become a power also in terms of economy, industry, health and education.” Nawaz claimed that the people who sowed hatred have been exposed. “The children of Pakistan will continue to hate May 9 and love May 28,” he added.

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Nawaz says culprits who exposed Pakistan to 'flames of hatred' unmasked

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has said that those who exposed Pakistan to the flames of hatred, misled the people, and pushed the country years behind have been unmasked. "Allah has created this country not for a day of darkness like May 9, but for a day of brightness like May 28 (The day Pakistan became a nuclear state)," he said while addressing a ceremony in Lahore from London on the occasion of Youm-e-Takbeer. Congratulating the nation on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the country’s nuclear blasts, Nawaz said that, in the moment of trial, the Almighty held our hand and granted us the ability to make the right decisions. "We do not harbour any hostile intentions towards anyone. Along with the development of nuclear power, our constant desire has been for the country to become the 7th economic and financial power in the world after becoming the 7th nuclear power," he added. Read more: Unity real message of Youm-e-Takbeer: PM He stated that some people began "pulling his leg" in 2017 despite the country being on the path of progress. "I am now aware what grudge these people hold against the country. When I was the prime minister in 2017, the exchange rate was Rs104 per dollar, whereas today it is Rs300. Flour used to be available at Rs33 per kilogramme, but today it is Rs120 rupees per kilogramme." The leader of the PML-N said: "I have served Pakistan with great sincerity and love. I consider the nation as my own children, but it is regrettable that on all three occasions [as prime minister], I was deprived of advancing my sacred mission due to one excuse or another, and later I was further marginalised," he added. Sharif's daughter, PML-N chief organiser Maryam Nawaz, also addressed the gathering. Taking a dig at former PTI leaders who left the party in difficult times, Maryam Nawaz said that the entire leadership of the PML-N was thrown into prisons, but no one left Nawaz Sharif. "Even today, the party members stand with Nawaz Sharif like a rock, but when the jackal (Imran Khan) faced difficult times, he started begging the United States," she said in her address. She praised her father Nawaz Sharif, who she said made the country invincible, and saluted the national security institutions and the Pakistan Army for protecting it. "History bears witness that Nawaz Sharif conducted atomic explosions without any delay and made the country's defence invincible. The world, not just Clinton, tried to pressure us not to conduct nuclear tests but Nawaz Sharif did not buckle under the pressure and conducted atomic explosions because brave nations are led by brave leaders," she added. Maryam further said that Nawaz Sharif will return to power, and the journey of progress, which was disrupted by conspiracies, will resume from where it left off.

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Police raided my home, ‘stole’ vehicle: PTI’s Ayub

As the crackdown on PTI leaders continues, newly appointed secretary general of the party Omar Ayub on Sunday maintained that the Islamabad police raided his residence and took away his vehicle. In a tweet, the forrmer federal minister claimed that cops from Islamabad’s Shalimar police station raided his house at around 12:30am without a search warrant and “stole” his parked Toyota Hilux Twin Cabin Model 2011. “[The[ Islamabad police [are] indulging in illegal searches and now vehicle thefts,” he added. “Members of the judiciary, civil servants and diplomats should take care of their vehicles as the police [have] resorted to stealing vehicles to top up their salaries in these super high inflationary times!!,” he continued. Ayub also pondered where was he supposed to have a case registered for his stolen vehicle as the police themselves were allegedly involved in the act. Read more: 'Standing with Imran', says Sheikh Rashid as PTI exodus continues “Do I ask the thieves to catch the thieves?”, he raised the question. Ayub was appointed the PTI’s secretrary general after Asad Umar stepped down from the post on Wednesday. “This is a great honour and I shall endeavour to work incessantly for Pakistan and PTI. I will try my utmost to come up to the expectations of the chairman and our PTI members,” Ayub had tweeted back then. Earlier, he had alleged that the Malir Cantt Police raided the home of former Karachi MNA Jamil Ahmed Khan. “Malir Cantt Police has raided the home of Captain (Retd) Jamil MNA, harassed his family & taken his vehicles. All this because he is a PTI MNA? Condemn this in the strongest terms. Sanity should prevail at all costs,” he had tweeted. In a related development, former adviser to the prime minister on interior and Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar also claimed that the law enforcement agencies had raided his Islamabad residence and taken away his brother. “Everyone knows I am not in country but Rangers and police (25-30 armed) .. attacked my house in Islamabad at 1am, broke doors and kidnapped my younger brother,” he tweeted. Earlier, PTI sources said police had raided the residences of Malik Wajid, Haji Shaukat Ali, Arbab Sher Ali, Murad Saeed, and Aysha Bano. On May 9, PTI chairman and deposed premier Imran Khan was arrested from the premises of the Islamabad High Court by dozens of Rangers personnel in connection with a corruption case, triggering countrywide protests. Enraged PTI protesters allegedly damaged public and private properties, particularly targeting military installations. Later, the National Security Committee, which comprises the civil leadership and military high-ups, endorsed a decision made during a meeting of corps commanders to invoke the Army Act and Official Secrets Act against people suspected of involvement in the May 9 violence which damaged the state and private properties across the country -- meaning they would be tried in military courts. An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore then ordered the Camp Jail superintendent to hand over 16 people, including a former PTI MPA, accused of attacking the Lahore corps commander’s residence -- also known as Jinnah House -- during the May 9 protests to the army to initiate trials against them in the military courts. (With input from agencies)

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Govt turns down Imran’s talks offer

  The ruling parties have rejected beleaguered former prime minister Imran Khan’s offer for talks, stating that talks were held with politicians not terrorists and that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief is now himself seeking an NRO. The development came as the PTI chief constituted a seven-member negotiating team to hold talks with the government—for developing consensus on a date for general elections— amid a massive crackdown. This crackdown — which has thrown the PTI into a deep existential crisis with dozens of key party leaders jumping ship every day — was launched after the party leaders and workers allegedly vandalized and set fire to state and army properties in the wake of Imran's arrest on May 9. Responding to the offer, the supreme leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Nawaz Sharif took to Twitter to state that talks are held only with politicians. “There will be no talks with a group of terrorists and saboteurs who burn memorials of martyrs and set the country on fire,” he said. In a statement, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said: “Those who attack the state are punished; they are not negotiated with.” She claimed that Imran’s appeal for talks is actually an appeal for an NRO. When in power, Imran Khan often said former military ruler Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf ended criminal cases against the leaders of various parties including the PML-N and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) through the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) but that he would not give “looters” any NRO. Marriyum said holding talks with those who desecrated the memorials of martyrs is a desecration of martyrs. She said Imran wants talks after burning ambulances, hospitals, schools and poisoning youths’ minds, adding there will be no talks with him. She said parties that are not political disintegrate in the same way the PTI has. “Imran has called for talks when his party leaders have abandoned him in flocks.” She reminded Imran that he had not talked with the opposition on economy, Kashmir, national security issues, Covid-19 and the FATF issue but he is now urging for talks. Declaring him a “foreign agent” and “Toshakhana thief”, the information minister said negotiations are not held with the ones who allegedly looted Rs60 billion as such a person is brought to the court of law and not to the negotiations table. Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Shazia Marri, who belongs to the PPP, said Imran was responsible for the situation arising after May 9. She said talking about talks now was nothing but eyewash. The minister said mobs attacked Jinnah House in Lahore and the GHQ in Rawalpindi on the order of Imran. “He keeps his children in the safety of London but incites the children of the nation to commit anti-state acts,” she said. Marri recalled that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who currently serves as the country’s foreign minister, tried to bring political parties to the negotiating table and constituted a team consisting of senior leaders for negotiations with political parties. “Imran, however, sabotaged Bilawal’s efforts.” She said Imran’s arrogance led to his downfall, regretting that the PTI chief did not allow the PTI to become a political party. “Talking about negotiations after everything has been done is pretentious,” she said. Jamiat Uleme-e-Islam (JUI-F) spokesperson Hafiz Hamdullah also called Imran the mastermind behind May 9 attacks. He said targeting military installations was tantamount to waging a war against the state. A rebel, he said, is not negotiated with but deserves severe punishment. Hamdullah while predicting that jail will be Imran’s destination said it was time for the PTI chief to answer for his actions. “Imran’s appeal for talks is nothing but a joke”.

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CPNE elects office-bearers for year 2023-24

The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) on Saturday elected its office-bearers for the year 2023-24. In the annual elections, Irshad Arif (Daily 92 News Lahore) was elected as president, Anwar Sajidi (Daily Intekhab Karachi) senior vice president and Ejazul Haq (Daily Express Karachi) as the secretary general. Hamid Hussain Abidi (Daily Amn Karachi) was elected as deputy secretary general, Amir Mehmood (Kiran Group Karachi) Sindh vice president, Yousaf Nizami (Pakistan Today Lahore) Punjab vice president, Tahir Farooqi (Daily Ittehad Peshawar) K-P vice president, Sardar Khan Niazi (Naya Rukh-Pakistan Group of Newspapers) Islamabad vice president and Arif Baloch (Balochistan Times Quetta) as Balochistan vice president, Ghulam Nabi Chandio (Daily Pak Karachi) as finance secretary and Zubair Mehmood (Daily Soorat-e-Hal Faisalabad) as information secretary. Other office-bearers who have been elected include Maqsood Yousufi (Daily Nai Baat Karachi) as Sindh joint secretary, Zia Tanoli (Daily Final News Lahore) Punjab joint secretary, Mumtaz Sadiq (Daily Azadi Swat) as K-P joint secretary, Yahya Sadozai (Daily Lead Pakistan Islamabad) Islamabad joint secretary and Munir Baloch (Daily Nawa-e-Watan Quetta) as Balochistan joint secretary. Among others are Qazi Asad Abid (Monthly Ibrat Magazine Hyderabad), Ikram Sehgal (Monthly Defence Journal Karachi), Sher Muhammad Khuhawar (Daily Appeal Karachi), Abdul Khaliq Ali (Online News Agency), Ahmad Shafiq (Monthly Hospitality Plus Lahore), Waqas Tariq (Daily Jehan Numa Lahore), Zulfiqar Rahat (Hot Line Lahore), Shehzad Amin (Daily Gulf News Lahore), M Siraj (Daily Jehan Pakistan Lahore), Kazim Khan (Daily Times Lahore), Nadeem Basra (Nawa-i-Waqt Lahore), Adnan Zafar (Daily Aaj Peshawar), Akmal Chohan (Daily Wafa Bahawalpur), Ayaz Ali Memon (Daily Nijat Sukkur), Faqir Manthar Mangrio (Daily Mehran Hyderabad), Ali Arbaz Khan (Daily Multan Nama Multan), Tanveer Shaukat (Daily Ghareeb Faisalabad), Fazlul Haq (Daily Times Peshawar), Tazeen Akhtar (Daily Azkaar Islamabad), Khalilur Rehman (Daily Islam Islamabad), Aitzaz Hussain Shah (Daily Maidan Peshawar), Ali Ahmad Dhillon (Daily Leader Lahore), Mahmood Alam Khalid (Monthly Farozaan Karachi), Ali Hamza Afghan (Weekly Takbeer Karachi) and Owaiz Razi (Weekly Azm Lahore) while CPNE newly elected president nominated Munazza Seham (Monthly Dosheeza Karachi) on the only women’s seat. Speaking on the occasion, former CPNE president Kazim Khan said that the body had struggled for the promotion of freedom of expression in the country and would continue to do so. Newly elected president Arif noted that protection of freedom of expression and journalism had been their motto since day one, adding that the steps taken by Kazim were a source of guidance for him, which had “infused a new courage in him”. He vowed to continue those initiatives with the support of the CPNE newly elected standing committee members. President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif felicitated the newly elected members of the CPNE. “I hope the new CPNE officials will play their role in media freedom, promotion of democratic values and human rights, and solution of social and economic problems in Pakistan,” the president said. In his message, PM Shehbaz conveyed his heartfelt congratulation to Irshad Arif, Anwar Sajidi, and Ejazul Haq. "I pray for the newly elected officials to excel in their responsibilities and live up to the trust of their community," he said. Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb also congratulated the newly elected CPNE members.

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Unity real message of Youm-e-Takbeer: PM

  Congratulating the nation on eve of the 25th anniversary of the country’s nuclear blasts, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged the people to forge unity to make the country an economic power. In his message on the eve of Youm-e-Takbeer Shehbaz paid rich tributes to all those involved in making the country’s defence impregnable by successfully conducting five nuclear tests in response to India's nuclear explosions. “I salute the then prime minister and my leader Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, who made Pakistan the first nuclear power in the Islamic world and the seventh nuclear power in the world by making the national defence impregnable,” he said. Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz said, only trusted in the power of Almighty Allah and defied the threats of superpower, adding that the offers of billions of dollars also could not deter him from his iron determination. Shehbaz also paid tributes late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the founder of Pakistan’s nuclear programme and late Benazir Bhutto, who as the leader of opposition at that time, supported the government’s decision of nuclear blasts. There were political tensions in those days but the late Benazir Bhutto shunned all the differences for the sake of the country, he said. “This is the real message of this day. When it comes to Pakistan, our political differences, interests and divisions disappear.” “I salute all the heroes of Pakistan's nuclear programme, including the late Dr Abdul Qadir Khan, scientists, engineers, workers and all those who have been a part of it in any form,” the prime minister added. Shehbaz also praised all the friendly countries, especially the leadership of Saudi Arabia, who supported Pakistan regardless of international pressure. “The Pakistani nation can never forget their support,” he added. “The lesson of today is that the nation can face any difficulty with unity. On May 28, 1998 the whole world was on one side, there was pressure, threats but the leadership of the country made the impossible possible,” the prime minister said. “The unity of the nation is the real power. On this auspicious day, I also want to express this great desire of my heart that we have to make Pakistan an economic power now but for this we need the same unity, determination, focus and continuity,” he added. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that Pakistani soldiers had rendered excellent services in the UN Peacekeeping, including the sacrifice of life in the most complex and dangerous conflict zones. In a tweet, Shehbaz said as eight Pakistani peacekeepers were honoured posthumously on the completion of 75 years of the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission, Pakistan was proud of being one of the largest contributors to the peace missions in the world. (WITH INPUT FROM APP)

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Sana reveals ‘PTI’s plan of staging drama of rape, killings’ to gain sympathy

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has revealed alarming details about an intercepted conversation, shedding light on a ‘sinister plan’ aimed at tarnishing the reputation of law enforcement agencies in Pakistan. During a news conference in Islamabad in wee hours of Sunday, Sanaullah disclosed that intelligence agencies had been monitoring the individuals involved in the conversation, which unfolded two disturbing plots. During the conversation, one plot emerged, where a raid on a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader or worker was planned. "The objective was to orchestrate a fake firing incident, causing casualties and presenting it as evidence of human rights violations and oppression by law enforcement agencies," he added. In addition to this scheme, the interior minister revealed, another plan was being hatched within the same conversation which involved staging a rape during a raid and falsely attributing it to law enforcement agencies. Read more: Imran forms 7-member PTI committee for talks with govt "The perpetrators aimed to falsely implicate the government, insinuating that such heinous acts were being carried out under its watchful eye. The intention was to escalate the matter to the international media, garnering sympathy and further highlighting alleged human rights violations in the country," he continued. Considering the imminent possibility of these dramatic events unfolding tonight, the interior minister stressed the need to raise awareness among the nation regarding these nefarious designs. "The fabricated scenarios would have been exploited to portray a negative image of Pakistan to the international community," he added. Sanaullah also expressed his determination to hold accountable those individuals responsible for instigating confusion, misleading the public, and causing harm to the country's defence installations. "The individuals involved in the events of May 9, those who initiated and misled, and those who were misguided and participated in causing damage to defence installations, will face the full force of the law. No relief will be given to them. However, no innocent person will be punished," he concluded.

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9,000 pilgrims reach Saudi Arabia for Hajj

The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Saturday transported 9,000 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia through 33 flights as the process to send Hujjaj on the annual sacred pilgrimage took off. According to the national airline's spokesperson, maiden flight PK 743 took 327 pilgrims from Lahore to Madinah. Read more: PIA suffers losses as bird strikes soar The PIA spokesperson said that more than 11,000 Hajj pilgrims would be transported to Madinah Munawwarah and Jeddah through 41 special and scheduled flights from Lahore. It is to be noted that the PIA's pre-Hajj operation would be completed on June 22 while the post-Hajj operation would start from July 2 and end on August 2 to bring back pilgrims from Saudi Arabia.

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Indian uni drops chapter on Allama Iqbal from BA syllabus

India's so-called image of the world's largest democracy was shattered once again when the Delhi University‘s Academic Council decided to scrap the chapter on great South Asian poet Muhammad Iqbal, popularly known as Allama Iqbal, from the BA political science syllabus, Indian Express reported. The report, quoting the registrar of the university, said that the syllabus and proposals on setting up various centres were passed in the council meeting on Friday. “Proposals on setting up of centres for Partition, Hindu, and Tribal studies have been passed. Mohd Iqbal has been dropped from the syllabus,” said Gupta. Iqbal was included in BA political science’s paper, “Modern Indian political thought”. Read more: 141st birth anniversary of Allama Iqbal celebrated The development was welcomed by a right-wing student body. “Delhi University academic council decided to scrap fanatic theological scholar Mohammad Iqbal from DU’s political science syllabus. Mohammad Iqbal is called ‘philosophical father of Pakistan’. He was the key player in establishing Jinnah as leader in Muslim League. Mohammad Iqbal is as responsible for India’s Partition as Mohammad Ali Jinnah is,” the student outfit was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times. The report stated that the proposal will require a final stamp of approval from the university’s executive council, which is scheduled to meet next on June 9. It is worth mentioning that "Saare Jahan se Accha" holds a significant place as a patriotic poem authored by Allama Iqbal, and India cherishes this song dearly due to its main verse dedicated to praising the country. Allama Iqbal composed this song at the beginning of the 20th century in pre-partition India, intending it as an ode to Hindustan, which encompasses present-day Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. However, due to his pivotal role in advocating for a separate homeland for Muslims, Allama Iqbal was honoured with the title of Pakistan's national poet. His ideas eventually materialised into the creation of Pakistan.

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Ali Zaidi, Khushro Bakhtiar also part ways with PTI

In another setback, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Ali Zaidi and Makhdoom Khushro Bakhtiar made announcements on Saturday of parting ways with the former ruling party following May 9 events. In a video message, Zaidi, the party’s Sindh president, said that quitting politics was not an easy decision, adding that he took the decision after much deliberation. “I resign from PTI Sindh chairmanship, core committee and membership of the National Assembly,” he added. Zaidi added that he will "continue working for Pakistan, and bring foreign exchange to the country". Read Ex-PTI MPA among 16 handed over to army for trial Once again, condemning the incidents of May 9, he said that “whatever happened was wrong, whoever was involved in it should be brought to justice”. “Pakistan Army is our pride because of them we sleep peacefully as they protect our borders," Zaidi stated. He said he entered politics for Pakistan. In another development, former federal minister Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar also announced to quit PTI. He added that a year ago he had told the top and frontline leadership of the party that the PTI’s new political plan of confrontation with national institutions would be harmful for the party. “I have distanced myself from party's politics because of this policy,” he said, adding that he has also distanced himself from the membership of the core committee and the presidency of South Punjab. The former federal minister said that "the heart-wrenching events of May 9 have forced me to distance myself from the political philosophy of the PTI". “I am very sure that the future of Pakistan is not in the politics of division and partisanship,” he further stated. As the crackdown on PTI intensified in the aftermath of the May 9 violence, numerous PTI leaders, including close confidants of former premier Imran Khan, have been defecting from the party, leading to what the former prime minister referred to as "forced divorces." Read more Govt decides against holding talks with PTI despite Imran's offer: sources Despite some leaders being temporarily released on court orders, many were re-arrested, indicating that the crackdown showed no signs of easing. Prominent PTI figures such as Shireen Mazari, Aamir Kiani, Amin Aslam, Mahmood Moulvi, Aftab Siddiqui, Fayyazul Hassan Chohan and others have announced their departure from the former ruling party. Asad Umar, a close aide of the PTI chief, resigned from his posts as the secretary-general and core committee member, citing the ongoing situation. His decision came shortly after Fawad Chaudhry, another trusted confidant of Imran, also quit the PTI. However, senior PTI leaders Dr Yasmin Rashid and Mehmoodur Rasheed have expressed their continued support for the party chief, reaffirming their commitment to remain with the PTI.

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Correctional facilities for juvenile offenders remain missing

With the Punjab government indicating once again that it will build model jails in the province, it has perhaps forgotten that it is yet to fulfil promises of building rehabilitation schools inside existing prisons to help the juvenile incarcerated population integrate back into society; once their sentence is served. There are two prisons solely for juvenile offenders in Punjab, one in Faisalabad and the other in Bahawalpur, and under trial or convicted children were sent here so that they could receive appropriate counselling to deter them from a life of crime once they left. However, the Borstal Institution and Juvenile Jail Faisalabad, was shut down last year after its walls caved in, which has left the Borstal Institution and Juvenile Jail Bahawalpur, as the sole prison for underage offenders. Consequently, catering to the rising juvenile wrongdoer population in the province, which desperately needs to be educated and given soft skills whilst serving their sentence, has become a challenge. Acknowledging the issue as a grave one, Special Secretary for the Home Department of Punjab, Fazl-ur-Rehman, said, “we have written to the government to reopen rehabilitation schools inside jails.” When pointed out that such letters had a history of falling on deaf ears, the Special Secretary informed that apart from reopening the jail schools, there were new schools under the works in Sahiwal and Bahawalpur, which would aid the rehabilitation of juvenile offenders. However, when asked for a date on the completion, Rehman did not say much other than “soon.” While it is hard to estimate how soon will soon be, as per documents obtained by The Express Tribune, more than 600 children are currently imprisoned in 43 prisons of Punjab, out of which 510 are under-trial and 119 are convicted. With only one dedicated juvenile prison and a dearth of jail schools, these accused and convicted underage offenders have to live with adult offenders, which is detrimental to their prospects of living a life free of crime, once they are out of incarceration. “Unless these juvenile offenders are given appropriate counselling, they will revert back to crime once they are out,” cautioned Dr Shehzad Hussain Tahir, a psychologist based in the city. “The closure of jail schools and the government’s empty promises of reopening them or building new ones, is harmful for the development of the children, as they might not be able to live a normal life again,” he added. Syeda Farah Hashmi, who works for the rights of juvenile offenders, concurring with Dr Tahir, implored the government to take action and reopen the correctional facilities on an urgent basis. When asked if he saw the urgency in the matter, Inspector-General Prisons, Mian Farooq Nazir, replying in the affirmative, put the onus on the government. “The provincial government needs to establish jail schools, like the ones that existed previously, to help the juvenile incarcerated population,” said Nazir while talking to The Express Tribune. 

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Pakistan calls for tailored legal instrument to tackle cyberthreats

A legally-binding instrument that addresses the interests of all states would be the best option to deal with increasing cyber threats to international peace and security, Pakistan told a UN Security Council's "Arria-Formula" meeting. "Cyberattacks are taking place with increased intensity across the entire spectrum of our social, economic, and political domains, with devastating impact on critical infrastructure and societies," said the Deputy Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN, Ambassador Aamir Khan. He made this statement on Thursday. Against this backdrop, he highlighted that ensuring the peaceful use of ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) and preventing cyber warfare was a critical challenge. Albania and the United States convened a 15-member Council meeting on 'Responsibility and Responsiveness of States to Cyberattacks on Critical Infrastructure' under the format of the Arria formula, which is named after a former Venezuelan UN ambassador, Diego Arria. The Arria formula is an informal consultation process that affords the Council the opportunity to hear people in a confidential, informal setting. In his remarks, Ambassador Aamir Khan stated that the Security Council is currently unable to address the problems posed by cyberattacks due to its paralysis. "Therefore, it would be salient to suggest that only a legally binding instrument tailored exclusively to address the specific conditions and interests of all states would be the best way forward," he added. The Pakistani envoy emphasized the need for capacity-building to enable member states to respond effectively to cyberspace challenges. "We call upon the international community, especially the developed world, to provide fair, equitable, and unconditional technical assistance, capacity-building support, and technology transfers to assist countries, especially those with limited resources, in strengthening their cybersecurity infrastructure."

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Govt to avoid blanket mobile phone outage in future

Information Technology (IT) Minister Aminul Haq said on Friday the government would not go for a blanket mobile phone blackout in the country in case of any untoward situation, rather only the affected areas would be targeted. Talking to the media persons at the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI), the minister noted the losses of billions of rupees during the latest outage in the wake of rioting across the country on May 9. The riots erupted after the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in a graft case. During the unrest, several government buildings, including sensitive military installations were attacked in difference parts of the country. “We strongly condemn the events of May 9. Imran Khan has crossed the red line,” Haq, who belongs to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) said. “For the last one year, they [PTI] were turning the youth against the country's army and the state.” Speaking about the mobile phone outage, Haq stated that his ministry “believes that the ban hinders the process of development”. However, when asked about the social media’s role, he added that the government was preparing the rules in this regard. Also read: Journalists reporting May 9 riots face raids He stressed that that political issues should be resolved politically. “All the political parties should sit across the table in order to take matters forward,” he added. “The doors of the MQM are open to all.” Earlier, addressing a conference organised by KATI on ‘Start-ups for IT Export’, the minister revealed that the Google management had increased the number of scholarships for the Pakistanis to 45,000 – 40% of which would be reserved for women. “We are in contact with the Google administration. The Google management increased the number of scholarships from 15,000 to 45,000 on May 9, but because of these events, this important information could not reach the masses,” the minister said. He reiterated the IT ministry’s determination to achieve the goal of Digital Pakistan. He said that an IT policy had been formulated keeping in view the country’s requirements for the next 50 years. “The development of the IT business is not possible without the facility of connectivity,” the minister told the conference, adding: “In the last three years, 70 new connectivity projects have been started at a cost of Rs75 billion. Speaking on the occasion, Senator Haseeb Khan said that young people were doing creative work in the IT sector, therefore, it was important to encourage and support those young people. “We cannot do research and development work without the IT and Pakistan cannot compete with its competitors in global markets without research and development,” Khan said. “The IT ministry should plan in this regard.”

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62 SNGPL fake degree workers sacked

A sub-panel of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of parliament on Thursday sought the identification of the people responsible for the recruitment of the employees possessing fake degrees in the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) so that action could be taken against them. A huddle of the review and implementation committee of the PAC was held in the Parliament House under the chairmanship of Syed Hussain Tariq, the convener of the body. The committee was told that out of 67 employees, 62 had been dismissed for possessing fake degrees while the cases of five of the remaining ones were pending in court. The petroleum secretary informed the committee that now, appointment letters were not issued until the degrees of the applicants were confirmed. During the meeting, the audit objections related to the Petroleum Division from the year 2005-06 to 2017-18 were reviewed. The participants of the meeting were told that the audit authorities had raised the issue of undocumented gas supply in Police Line No 1 Colony in Rawalpindi four times before the PAC. They were further informed that on May 24, 2005, the gas supply to the colony was cut off. The petroleum secretary said that the case was also being pursued in the court. He added that despite their best efforts, they were not granted any relief in the case, compelling them to disconnect the gas supply to the colony. The official continued that the residents of the colony had started using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Mushahid Hussain Syed, a member of the committee, responded that the PAC had issued its instructions in the year 2011 and the body appeared to be moving in circles. He inquired how much loss had the SNGPL incurred. The SNGPL acting managing director told him that the loss stood at Rs12 million. On this, the committee directed the SNGPL that it should try for an out-of-court settlement. Committee member Shahida Akhtar pointed out that the SNGPL managing director had introduced himself as working in an acting capacity,. She asked why he was not being given the charge of a regular managing director. The petroleum secretary told the committee that Amir Tufail was performing well. To this, the committee inquired what was the reason for assigning him the task of the acting managing director. The petroleum secretary replied that appointment of the managing director was carried under a process, which had not been kicked off yet. Besides, he added that the previous managing director of the SNGPL had obtained a stay order from a court. During the review of the issue of fake-degree holders' appointments to the company during the meeting, the SNGPL officials told the committee that 62 out of 67 people had been dismissed on the basis of false credentials while the cases of five of them were in court. The petroleum secretary assured the committee that now, appointment letters were only issued after the degrees of the applicants had been authenticated. To this, the convener of the committee directed the SNGPL officials to identify the people behind the appointment of fake-degree holders so that action could be taken against them.

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Prices of ghee, cooking oil at USC reduced

  The federal government has reduced the prices of all brands of ghee and cooking oil from Rs5 to Rs76 per kilo/litre at the Utility Stores. A notification has been issued stating that the price reduction of all brands of ghee and cooking oil at the Utility Stores will be applicable from Friday (today). According to the notification, the price of Dalda Banaspati Ghee has been reduced by Rs23 per kilo to Rs577 from Rs600, while that of Dalda Cooking Oil has been reduced by Rs25 per litre from Rs651 to Rs626. Similarly, the price of Tullo Banaspati Ghee has been reduced by Rs18 per kilo to Rs570 from the earlier Rs588 while that of Tullo Cooking Oil has been reduced by Rs18 per litre from Rs638 to Rs620. The price of Kashmir Banaspati Ghee has been decreased by Rs5 per kg from Rs605 to Rs600 and that of Kashmir Canola Cooking Oil has also been reduced by Rs5 per litre to Rs649 from Rs654. The price of Dastak Cooking Oil has been reduced by Rs25 per litre to Rs580 from Rs605, while that of Mujahid Cooking Oil has been decreased by Rs76 per litre to Rs540. The price of Maan Cooking Oil has also been decreased by Rs18 per litre to Rs585. The price of Soya Supreme Banaspati Ghee has been reduced by Rs69 per kilo from Rs614 to Rs545, while that of Soya Supreme Cooking Oil has been reduced by Rs55 per litre to Rs590.

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Dept incorporates data of PWDs

Disabled Persons Management Information System (DPMIS), developed by the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) for the Department of Social Welfare and Baitul Maal, has recorded the data of more than 156,000 persons with disabilities (PWDs). This was told in a review meeting presided over by PITB Chairman Faisal Yousaf. It was informed in the meeting that under the DPMIS, disabled persons from across Punjab can apply for their medical appointments and receive disability certificates online. On this occasion, Chairman Faisal Yousaf remarked, “With this initiative, the departmental visits of the Persons With Disabilities have reduced as well as NADRA verification for Special Identity Card is also being done online without wasting any time.” It is pertinent to mention here that all the record of Persons With Disabilities is now available on the dashboard including gender, age, type of disability, and geographical distribution. Moreover, registration of all 36 Darul Aman (DUA) and Modern Children's Homes (MCH) in Punjab as well as the monitoring of residents' needs, arrangements and their movement etc has also been done under this system. Published in The Express Tribune, May 26th, 2023.

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‘May 9 rioters to be brought to justice’

Provincial Minister for Auqaf and Religious Affairs Syed Azfar Ali Nasir has said that the Armed Forces have made the country's defence invincible, and the nation will always remember their sacrifices. Addressing a function arranged by the local administration in connection with the “Youm-e-Takreem Shuhada-e-Pakistan” at the Iqbal Auditorium of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) on Thursday, he paid glowing tribute to the martyrs of the Pakistan Army and said that their sacrifices gave new life to the nation. The minister saluted the bravery of the Armed Forces and said, “Soldiers of these forces are our pride as we are leading our life in social peace and tranquility due to their unprecedented sacrifices." He also paid homage to the families of the martyrs who were present in the function, saying that though it was the fundamental right of every citizen to protest peacefully, yet on May 9, a handful of evil-minded elements committed terrorism and vandalized military installations. They had not only injured sentiments of the families of the martyrs, but they also brought shame and defamation for the entire Pakistani nation at the global level, he added. He said that punishment for the wrongdoers was imperative for success and peace of society. Published in The Express Tribune, May 26th, 2023.

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Maryam to visit Vehari today

  Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz will visit Vehari on Friday (today) to address a youth convention, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Thursday. Maryam Nawaz had started a country-wide tour to address party’s organisational meeting in February. However, she took a pause from these tours in April and went to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah along with her father, Nawaz Sharif. She has resumed party meeting at the Central Secretariat. According to Aurangzeb, who is also the spokesperson for the ruling party, her Vehari visit was only meant to addressing the youth convention.

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Former PTI lawmaker Ayesha Gulalai joins PML-Q

Several lawmakers of the PTI including Ayesha Gulalai on Thursday decided to join the Pakistan Muslim Leaque-Q (PML-Q). Gulalai announced the decision during a news conference in Lahore along with PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Chaudhry Sarwar, Noor Wali, and other party leaders. During the presser, she expressed her confidence in the party’s leadership and vision. She said after leaving PTI in 2017, different political parties invited her to join them but she turned down their offer. Hailing Shujaat, she said the PML-Q leader always put national security first and worked for the betterment of the country. Gulalai maintained that she got a chance to learn politics from the PML-Q chief. Also read PTI exodus continues as Maleeka Bokhari also quits party “No corruption scandal of Chaudhry Shujaat came to light when he was the prime minister. Real democracy exists in PML-Q,” she said. The former PTI lawmaker expressed the resolve that the PML-Q would work for the rights of the poor and the youth. Gulalai joined PTI in 2012 and was nominated as a member of the PTI central committee. She was indirectly elected to the National Assembly as a candidate of PTI on a reserved seat for women from the erstwhile Fata in 2013 general elections. She was the first-ever female MNA from the tribal districts as well one of the youngest member of the parliament. Meanwhile, the Baryar family from Sialkot also held a meeting with Shujaat. Former MPA Ahsan Baryar and Ansar Baryar announced joining the PML-Q.

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